


It Takes Two

by greekgrad12



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Annabeth Chase is a good mom, F/M, Percy Jackson is a good dad, Slow Burn, but it's for the sake of the fic, distance could not break them apart, grover being the best godfather, it takes two!au, it's about the repressed childhood romance, mattie and hayley being the biggest percabeth shippers, percabeth, percy being a simp, piper being a superior godmom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:40:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26362060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greekgrad12/pseuds/greekgrad12
Summary: Mattie Jackson and Hayley Chase meet at the start of summer and discover that they are each other's identical clone. With a little more investigating, the two girls discover that they are, in fact, twins. Things only get crazier when they find out that their adoptive parents were once in love. Now, they have to work together to reunite Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase before Mattie’s dad ends up dating the new camp counselor and Hayley’s mom gets married to a kid hating, gold digger.And what better way to do that then to switch places?ori rewatched It Takes Two and decided to make it percabeth :)
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Comments: 13
Kudos: 49





	1. world's best dad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quick shoutout to @riptide-anaklusmoss on tumblr for convincing to to finally get an ao3 account lol

Percy Jackson had just finished packing his last duffel bag when he heard a very familiar voice yelling outside his apartment window. A voice that belonged to someone who was supposed to be in the next room over packing her own bags. A frustrated sigh left his lips as he opened the bedroom window looking down towards the street. Just as he suspected, a crowd of children were scattered on the road, some taking up the spaces around the chalk-drawn diamond, others sitting on the sidelines. And right there on the makeshift home plate stood none other than...

 _"Matilda Sally Jackson!"_ Percy yelled down from the fourth floor to his daughter, "If I were to walk into your room right now, would your suitcases be packed?"

The ten-year-old girl turned and gave her dad an exasperated look, "Ah come on, dad! Ten bucks say you only just got done!"

"Thankfully, I'm not raising you to be like me," He teased, leaning on the windowsill. He was very much aware of the red tint on his daughter's olive cheeks, even from the distance between the two, "I'm hopefully raising you to be better. Now come finish packing, we're leaving in two hours!"

Percy and his daughter had a great relationship, unlike Percy and his bio-dad or first stepfather. Yeah, he didn't have the best luck in the fatherhood department, but that was why he wanted to do better for his daughter. And he was. Percy spent every day trying to be a good dad to Mattie. He taught her his mother's famous cookie recipe, braided her hair every morning before school, and attended every single swim match she had. Granted he was also the coach, but still.

Mattie didn't have a mom. Well, not one that she remembered anyway. Percy and his ex-wife, Lydia, were on thin ice for a long time. One of their main arguments being, Percy wanted kids, she didn't. Percy knew from a young age that he wanted a family, so there was no use trying to argue that. Somewhere along the way, they had reached an agreement and Mattie was on the way. Halfway through the whole process, Lydia changed her mind. This lead to the fifth argument of the month and to their inevitable divorce.

This also lead to the decision that would change the rest of Percy's life. _Would he still adopt baby Mattie?_

Yep, adopt. Lydia didn't want to go through the whole pregnancy ordeal and Percy was more than happy to adopt. He knew what it was like to grow up in a tough home and if he could prevent that from happening to another kid, he wouldn't hesitate. Mattie’s birth mother was a 19-year-old girl who was apparently going through a hard time. Truthfully, Percy didn’t know much about her, but it wasn’t due to a lack of effort. When bio-mom picked Percy and Lydia to be the parents of her unborn child, she was in the final stages of her pregnancy and she didn’t want to meet them. The only thing Percy heard about her was that she moved out west somewhere only a week after Mattie was born.

As a social worker employed at Goode Middle School, Percy had the advantage of being college friends with many of the adoption agents. This helped speed up the adoption process tremendously. At first, he saw that as a blessing, but after the divorce, it seemed that Percy was under even more pressure to make his decision.

It took some long talks with his mom to convince Percy that he could still do this; be a single dad. But it was his little sister, Estelle, who convinced him he would be great at it. After all, he had partially helped raise her and she turned out okay. She ate all of their mom's blue cookies, but she was okay. Plus, his family would be right by his side. So, Percy went along with the adoption. He hasn't regretted it once.

Yes, Mattie was adopted, but two you could never really tell. Mattie was daddy's little girl from the very beginning. From their beach days together to their daddy-daughter dates to get cheeseburgers at the local diner, the two were inseparable. By some twist of fate, the baby girl had even grown up to have a shade of green eyes like her dad's.

And that wasn't where the similarities stopped. Mattie was a rambunctious and sarcastic kid. There are times when Percy isn't sure what to expect from her, but more often than not, Mattie was the most helpful and patient kid a single dad could ask for. Still, as easygoing as she could be, Percy knew how proud his daughter was. After being embarrassed in front of her friends, Mattie Jackson had something to prove.

"Just let me hit this ball downtown! Grand slam, home run, guaranteed," Mattie was a lot like her father, but she had ambition. She was a tough girl. A smart girl. She reminded Percy of-

"Okay, fine," He started, "but if it's anything less, you're making me a mug at camp."

The girl shuddered at the idea of having to participate in her least favorite camp activity but nodded nonetheless. She stepped back up to the plate. Mattie was athletic. She hopped around from sport to sport, mainly just for the experience, but there was nothing she loved more than swimming. Her father's love for the water was one of the many things the girl had picked up from him.

But right now, Mattie's focus wasn't on the water. Percy watched as she scrunched her nose up, waiting for the pitch. The boy at the pitchers' mound, one of Mattie's friends, Cody, was taking his sweet time with the ball. Right when it looked like he was about to throw the pitch, he instead turned to his team and signaled for them to back up.

Percy couldn't help the smirk that formed on his lips. He wanted a _World's Best Dad_ mug, but at that moment, he wanted his daughter to show those kids who's boss more.

The ball was pitched and the next thing Percy knew, he was hearing the sweet sound of a crack made from the balls' contact with the bat. He cheered as his daughter took first, and again when she rounded the corner for second. The ball had landed somewhere far down the street and the rest of Mattie's team were assuring her it was safe. She made it to third and right when Percy was sure he wouldn't be getting his mug, a car pulled up and parked right over home plate.

Mattie slowed down and stopped right in front of the old car. A confused look was shared between the other kids, but she knew exactly who the vehicle belonged to. And while she was happy to see it, Mattie was pissed that she couldn't reach home from under the car.

"Mattie, your dad called me half an hour ago telling me that you two were just now starting to pack. What are you doing out here?"

Before the girl could answer, Cody's voice rang out at her side.

"Loosing," The boy mocked as he tagged the girl out with the ball.

Mattie turned towards him and glared, "There is no way this counts!"

***

"I want my mug to be blue," Percy teased his daughter as she walked back into their apartment, "with _World's Best Dad_ written in big letters."

"You and I both know that you don't need a mug to know you're the best dad. Plus, I suck at clay molding," The girl complained, "Not to mention that it's the most boring activity at camp."

Her father smirked, "Well you should have thought of that before you agreed to the bet."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Mattie grumbled, "Can I just pay Rachel to do it for me?"

"No," He laughed, "and don't even try to go behind my back and do it anyway, because I _will_ find out.”

"Okay, you two, settle down," Sally Jackson-Blofis' laughter rang out in the small apartment. As much as Mattie was a daddy's girl, Percy was a bigger mama's boy, "I came by to see you before you leave and drop off some cookies for the trip."

Mattie's eyes couldn't have bulged out of their sockets more when her grandmother pulled out the plastic tub of blue cookies. Just as she went to grab the box, it was pulled out of reach by her father, "Oh, no you don't."

"Oh, come on, dad!" Giving the best puppy dog look she could muster, Mattie looked up at Percy, "Just one?"

Percy had to look at his mother for support. There was little that his daughter couldn't get away with when that look was thrown his way, "Nope. Not until you're done packing."

"Seriously?" His daughter whined, "Wasn't calling me Matilda in front of all my friend's punishment enough?"

"You know, I was this close to naming you Janet," He mocked, holding his pointer finger and thumb so close they were barely touching.

Mattie's big eyes narrowed into a glare as she stuck her tongue out at her father, "Fine, but don't be surprised if your mug doesn't have a handle."

"I think you're just doing that to make the sculpting easier for you."

A small grin appeared on her face and she shrugged, "Maybe."

Percy rolled his eyes at the girl and chuckled as she walked back to her room. He turned back to his mom and saw her wearing the same endearing look she always has when she watches the interactions between her son and granddaughter.

"You've definitely raised a little you," Sally laughed.

"Well, in that case," Percy grinned and opened the Tupperware container holding the cookies, "I'm sorry for hogging the shower as a kid."

Sally took the container out of his hands before he got the chance to pick out a cookie, "And I'm sorry for not allowing you to be a hypocrite."

"What? I'm done with my packing!" Percy promised as he reached for the container.

"Even the extra blankets? You know how cold the bunks can get at night."

Percy was quiet for a moment before letting out a defeated groan, "You know, I was really proud of myself for a moment there."

"You should still be proud of yourself, honey," Sally grinned, "You're a great dad, and you and Mattie are going to have a great time at camp this year, just like you always do."

Camp Half-Blood was a summer camp that Percy had been attending since he was nine years old. His bio dad had attended the camp in his youth and it was one of the few things that Percy had left of the man after he died. When his mother remarried, it was a safe place away from his first stepfather, Smelly Gabe, a man that Sally Jackson only married because, at the time, she didn't have the funds to properly provide for her son. The camp had a big influence on the man Percy became. The experiences he had, the friends he made, the place where he felt closest to his father.

_The girl he fell in love with._

Even years after he grew too old to be a camper, Percy found himself volunteering every summer as a camp counselor. A few years later, he was offered a paid position as an official counselor and the camp social worker. Chiron, the camp activities director, was more than happy to have him back. Especially, when he started bringing his daughter with him.

He couldn't help but smile at that, "Thanks, mom. I'm really excited about this year. You know, Camp Half-Blood was remodeled this past fall. Everything has been upgraded, I can't wait to see it."

"I'm sure it will look great. You've been complaining about the faulty flooring in the pavilion for years."

"There's been a giant crack going down the center of that thing ever since the earthquake back when I was still a camper. That's completely dangerous!"

His mother laughed and raised her arms in defeat, "Trust me, I agree. Still, with all the changes, I'm surprised that the camp could afford all the modifications."

"Yeah, I think the head of the architect company in charge is an old friend of Chiron's. Apparently, they will be coming down and checking out the camp, you know, to see how their work panned out, I guess."

"Well, you'll have to thank whoever they are for fixing your pavilion," Sally teased him as she grabbed a cookie out of the container and took a bite. Percy's mouth fell open as he stared at his mother with a look of betrayal, "What? I don't have to pack anything. Plus, a made them, I don't need justification."

"You are a cruel woman."

***

An hour and a half later, Percy and his daughter were packing their bags -and the extra blankets- into the car and heading towards Long Island Sound. With barely thirty minutes into the trip, half of Sally's cookies had been devoured and they had played a very enthusiastic game of _Eye Spy_.

"So," Mattie started as she reached for her fourth cookie, "is this the year you finally tell me who _A.C._ is?”

When Mattie was seven, during her first year at camp, Percy was adamant about showing her _everything_ from his time at camp. Including all his favorite spots and activities from his time there. They visited the horse stables, where Percy told his daughter stories about his favorite horses and how he was one of the best riders. He took her to the strawberry field where they picked strawberries with her uncle Grover, just like the two had done when they were boys. But he was most excited about taking her to the dock and swimming in the water. Some of his most precious memories were made at that beach, on the dock. It was a special place for him. A place where he used to sit with her and escape from the world. A place where a first kiss was perfect under the Fourth of July fireworks. A place where carved initials still stood to this day.

When Mattie first found the letters carved at the end of the dock, she knew immediately that they weren't new. The marks had faded with time. When she realized that the first set of letters in _P.J. + A.C._ looked familiar, she decided to ask her father, _Percy Jackson_ , if he knew who made the marks. Percy had never been a good liar. That was the day Mattie found out everything about her father's days at Camp Half-Blood. _Everything,_ except who _A.C._ was _._

"Mattie," Percy sighed, eyes staying on the road, "I've told you a thousand times, she's just an old friend. I haven't spoken to her in years, since before you were even born. I don't understand why you're so interested in this."

"Because _friends_ don't carve their initials together on a dock for the world to see," The young girl persisted, blue crumbs falling from the side of her mouth, "That's what couples do in movies and stuff."

"Well, that explains it then. This isn't a movie, T," Truthfully, Percy wasn't sure if he was trying to convince her or himself more, "Besides, the camp went under construction this year, I'm sure the old dock was torn down and rebuilt. It was old."

Although, he would never admit this to his daughter, Percy was hoping, and wishing, and praying to anyone who would listen that the dock stayed the same. Percy would be lying if he said that he wasn't anxious about seeing it again. The thing was old, and he knew that the safety of the campers outweighed the feeling he still got in his stomach when he saw their initials carved together.

Maybe he could have called Chiron. Asked him if the new camp architect would spare that last plank of wood at the very edge of the water. Asked if he could keep it. One last memory of the childhood love he would never admit to never getting over.

 _What a ridiculous idea_ , he thought. Still, he always got like this in the summer, especially at camp.

Despite the fact that he was avoiding eye contact and staring towards the road, Percy could feel Mattie's frustrated gaze staring him down, but he held his ground. He was never going to see her again. The last time he saw her gray eyes staring back at him was at eighteen years old, their last summer as campers. She lived in San Francisco, California and would be going to UC Berkeley in the fall. He wasn't surprised, she was a genius. But Percy? He would stay in Manhattan and go to college on a swimming scholarship. They would try and stay in touch like how they did growing up. Busy schedules and adulthood would cause them to fail. Percy would still think of her, but he'd still get married to another woman. Percy would try to make it work, but he would still find himself wishing Lydia were her, and hating himself for it. So he tried to stop, but he couldn't help wondering. Wondering what she was doing. Wondering what could have been. But they hadn't spoken in years.

There was no point in telling his daughter how wonderful she was, because he knew Mattie would fall in love with her, just as he did. And they would never meet.

So, no. Percy would not tell his daughter about the girl he spent every summer with. He would not tell her about the girl who made fun of him for drooling in his sleep. He would not tell her about the girl who would sit with him at the dock and draw building structures while they talked about nothing and everything all at once. He would not tell her about the girl who's comfort book was _Matilda_ , and that she made him read it, and that him joking about how she probably had superpowers like the character, because she too was a genius, made her blush. Percy would not tell his daughter because it would hurt too much.

Percy would not tell his daughter about his first love, Annabeth Chase.


	2. surprise

The faded white stone was the first thing Annabeth Chase noticed when she and her daughter pulled into the driveway of their summer house. Well, _summer_ house was a loose term now. Annabeth had been living here all year while working on a new project. One that was very near and dear to her heart. When Chiron called and asked if she would be willing to redesign the old camp, she was more than happy to. She even threw in a family discount, because that's exactly what he was. Family.

Annabeth Chase was a very famous name in the architecture world. She graduated top of her class at Berkeley and quickly got a job at _Medusa & Co. Architecture. _Her coworkers were somber, but the work was good. Working for a big company like _Medusa & Co. _brought on a lot of challenges, but that's what drew her in. Annabeth loved a challenge. What she didn't love were the rumors and scandals constantly going around about faulty cement, old metals, and rickety wires being used to create their buildings in an attempt to make more money. When she decided to investigate and learned that the rumors were true, Annabeth just had to leave. Creating her own Architecture Company took some time, but the exposure and resources she acquired while at _Medusa & Co._ helped her along the way. And the money she got from her tip to the media about what was really going on at her old job didn't hurt either.

Now, she was the proud owner and head architect at _Parthenon Architecture._ Having expanded her company to five different states all over America, Annabeth was a busy woman. So busy that she never really had time to think about her life outside of work. She knew she wanted to get married and have a family. _Something permanent._ But even with the casual dates, her friends insisted she go on, Annabeth never felt that spark that she knew made something worth pursuing. She knew what that felt like. She'd experienced it before, with-

" _Woah_ ," The sweet voice of her daughter broke Annabeth from her thoughts, "Remind me why we don't stay here more often?"

Annabeth didn't have time for romance, but she wanted a family. Thanks to adoption agencies, she could have that. But honestly, Annabeth wasn't even sure if she was ready to be a mother when she went in for a consultation with the agency. Her parents divorced when she was young, and due to her mother's career in government at D.C., Annabeth was left with her father. Eventually, her stepmother came into the picture and the blonde little girl was pushed into the background. The woman wanted absolutely nothing to do with Annabeth and her father did nothing to help. Things only got worse when her little twin brothers came into the picture.

Annabeth's mother would come back every other month and the two would spend the day together, but she couldn't be there every time the girl needed her. The best thing her mother did for her was sign Annabeth up for Camp Half-Blood when she was a seven. That first year at camp changed her life. She made friends who became family and finally found a place that felt like home. People who felt like home. A _boy_ who felt like home.

"Remind me how often we come to Rhode Island?" she teased the ten-year-old.

The girl turned back to her mother and responded with a straight face, "Ha-ha."

Annabeth laughed at that, "Come on, Hayley, let's unpack. I wanna show you something in the house."

Despite her estranged relationship with motherhood, Annabeth never had to think twice about adopting Hayley. Before adopting the girl, she did her research. Apparently, Hayley's birth mother moved to California a week after she was born, hoping for a fresh start with her new child. Unfortunately, her new life didn't have room for a baby. The woman tried for about two months before abandoning the little girl at an adoption agency. Annabeth knew what it was like to feel abandoned, so she was happy to claim the two month old as her own.

She tried her best to be an attentive and caring mother, and being her own boss helped make that possible. Still, with Annabeth being so busy with the camp reconstruction plans, she and her daughter hadn't been able to spend as much time together this year. Hayley had spent the greater part of last year begging her mom to let her join them in Rhode Island, and as much as Annabeth wanted her around, she wasn't about to pull her daughter out of school for a whole year. Especially with everything they've gone through at past schools.

Much like Annabeth, Hayley Chase is a famous name. Hayley wasn't a problem child. She is a good kid. A good kid with bad luck. Getting her daughter into schools was the easy part. As the granddaughter to a Congresswoman, an American and Military History professor at West Point, and the daughter of the third most famous Architect in the United States, schools were eager to have Hayley in their programs. And having an eleventh-grade reading level didn't hurt either. It was when the school year began that things usually went south.

Wrong place, wrong time basically sums up Hayley's life. Nothing too crazy happened, but it was usually enough to ensure that the girl wouldn't be getting an invitation back. So far, she had been kicked out of three schools. Once for getting too many detentions due to ' _continuous disrespect_ ,' which is just a fancy way of saying, _"You're child pointed out too many of my teaching mistakes and I'm sick of being contradicted."_

Another time was when a nasty girl in her class tripped Hayley in the lunchroom. The girl's tray went flying, and the food fight that ensued was blamed on her. The last incident was the result of a classroom fire, but there's really no time to unpack that. Hayley never meant for these things to happen. She knew how hard her mother worked, and she admired her greatly for that. The last thing she wants is to add stress to her life.

What Hayley didn't realize, however, was that she made Annabeth's life anything _but_ stressful. The woman couldn't be prouder to have a daughter as clever, kind, and patient as Hayley. Annabeth spent her whole life wanting to build something permanent, but when she finally did, she looked around and realized that it's wasn't worth much without _someone_ permanent beside her. She wants to do right by her daughter, and that's one of the reasons why she was so excited to finally have Hayley over at the summer house with her. Not only would she get to spend time with her daughter again, but Annabeth would get to show Hayley where she grew up. Her home.

Camp Half-Blood.

Hayley was now carrying a backpack over her shoulders and tugging a suitcase behind her as she walked up the steps to the giant house, "What is it?"

"It's a surprise," The woman answered, simply. Annabeth had just dropped her bag onto the porch and was currently scrummaging in her bag for the door keys.

"What kind of surprise?" Hayley pressed while admiring the exterior of the house. The two story mansion had once belonged to her great-grandmother, but it hadn't been used in years. The green-eyed girl suddenly found herself hoping that the surprise wasn't spiderwebs and dust. Then again, her mother had been living here on and off again for the past six months. If there was even a hint of spiders, the house would have already been hosed down by exterminators, "Surprise like, _'I'm doubling your allowance for not causing trouble this year!_ ' or surprise like, ' _Grandma's coming to visit_ '?"

Annabeth had unlocked the door but held it ajar, "Actually, yes, your grandma is coming in a few days to visit."

A grim look overtook Hayley's face. It's not that she didn't like Grandma Athena, it's just that she was very... controlled. Hayley always assumed that it was the Congresswoman in her that made the old lady so uptight. Every time she came to visit, her mom would get anxious and start to stress work. The little girl knew all about her mother's upbringing. The mother-daughter pair were very close, and Hayley was protective of the people she loved, so she never enjoyed seeing the effect her grandmother had on Annabeth.

"Why is she coming here?" The young girl asked, trying her best to hide her disapproving tone, "The only thing she does when she comes over is stress you out and give me passive-aggressive looks for not indulging myself in nonfiction books."

"Hayley, if you want to read Agatha Christie, read Agatha Christie. If you want to read Marvel Comics, read Marvel Comics. Don't let her make you feel bad about your interests," If there was one thing Annabeth was willing to face her mother for, it was her daughter. It pissed the woman off to no end when her mother, the one who had basically abandoned her as a child, tried to tell Annabeth how to raise her daughter.

That's another thing Hayley loved about her mom. No matter what she did, her mom was right behind her with unconditional support. When Hayley entered the Spelling Bee, her mother stayed up the night before and helped her practice, even though she had scheduled an early meeting the next morning to ensure she would be off on time to attend the contest. When the girl wanted to join an art class, Annabeth went out and bought her a whole new art supply kit. When, at the age of four, she decided that blue and yellow were magic colors, and her mom decided to make blue cookies for her. She only made them once, and Hayley was young when she did, but the girl still could have sworn she remembers her mother tearing up when her daughter took her first bite of the blue food.

And there was the time when she was three, and Hayley had her first asthma attack.

Annabeth had been a wreck for the entire process. Of course, Hayley had recovered quickly, and thanks to her Flovent medication, she hasn't had a major attack in years. All thanks to her mom. If Annabeth Chase was anything, it was a planner. Hayley was on a strict schedule when it came to taking her medication. Even though her daughter's asthma hadn't acted up in years, she wasn't going to chance losing her ever again.

"Rebel against Grandma?" Hayley joked, "Sounds like a plan."

Annabeth huffed out a laugh, but Hayley could tell something was off. She just now noticed that her mother hadn't been looking her in the eyes and that she was still standing in front of the cracked open door, blocking the girl from what's inside. She also noticed that her mother didn't answer her question about why Grandma Athena would be visiting.

"Why don't we go inside? I may have lied about the surprise- or rather, the extent of it. There is actually more than one."

Hayley's confusion must have been very noticeable, because right as she was about to ask more questions, Annabeth opened the front door to reveal two people waiting inside.

"Piper! Leo!" Hayley dropped her bags onto the porch and ran to her godmother and honorary uncle. The two dropped down and hugged the little girl with just as tightly as she did them.

"Hey, Hay!" Leo teased the girl as her arm wrapped around his neck.

"Oh my goodness, there is no way you got this big over one school year!" Piper exclaimed as she pulled back from the girl's other side, "You get any taller and you're gonna outgrow Leo."

While that was definitely an exaggeration, Leo still scoffed at the girl. Watching as the three got reacquainted, Annabeth picked up her daughter's bags that were abandoned on the porch and laid them inside. After she placed her own bags on the floor, Piper's dark eyes shot up and reached Annabeth's gray ones.

The woman smiled down at Hayley before walking over to give her mom a big hug. Piper McLean and Annabeth had been friends for years. The two met in the third grade. They bonded over daddy issues and a mutual love for Skittles. You know, normal kid stuff. After decades of sleepovers, secret handshakes, bad haircuts, and One Direction phases, the girls were still inseparable. If anyone could read Annabeth like a book, it was Piper. They were a fantastic duo. So much so, that Piper was her personal assistant. Technically, she was here for work, but Annabeth was just grateful to have her best friend here for the occasion.

Annabeth met Leo Valdez in college. He was the smartest person on the robotics team and the two shared many classes together throughout the years. They became fast friends, bonding over conspiracy theories and arguing over who was the better Property Brother. When Annabeth needed a Head of Construction at her firm, she knew exactly who she wanted by her side. Leo was more than happy to accept.

Leo and Piper were great employees and even better friends. They were supportive when she told them she wanted to adopt. They were always there to remind her that it's okay to take a break. And whenever one of them decided to take her out and let her live a little, the other would watch Hayley. And they both _loved_ Hayley.

"Glad to see you're still alive," Piper's tone was flat and quiet against Annabeth's ear. She knew her friend didn't want Hayley hearing what she had to say, and honestly, neither did Piper, "Oh, and look at that. Is that a phone sticking out of your back pocket? A phone that I have been trying to reach you on for the past hour?"

Annabeth pulled back from the hug and Piper could finally see the guilt written on her face, "I know. Look, I'm sorry I didn't answer, but I knew what you would be calling about. I couldn't exactly have you yelling at me with my ten-year-old in the passenger seat."

"So, she doesn't know then?" The black-haired woman knew the answer, but the way she was now staring Annabeth down -arms crossed, eyebrow raised- made her realize the real question she was asking went along the lines of, _what the hell is your plan here?_

"No," Annabeth sighed out, "I was going to tell her on the drive over from the airport, but there was just so much to catch up on-"

"Yeah, Annabeth!" Piper whisper-yelled as an exasperated look took over her face, "There _is_ so much to catch her up on. Starting with-!"

"Hey, you two," Leo coughed out, loudly. As the girls turned their attention back to him and the little girl, they saw Leo motioning to Hayley. Annabeth's daughter sent confused glances to the three adults, "Annabeth, why don't you show Hayls what's outback?"

Annabeth clasped her hands together and moved past Piper, who was now giving Leo the death stare, "That's a great idea, Leo. Come on, Hayley, there's another surprise waiting for you."

Hayley loved a good surprise as much as the next girl, but she was very aware of the mumbled bickering going on between Piper and Leo as she and her mom walked to the back of the house. That kind of put a damper on things. There was definitely something being kept from the little girl, and she had an idea that whatever it was wouldn't be found outback.

"Come on, kiddo," Annabeth said as they reached a little study. Hayley almost missed the door as they walked up to it. The wood of the door matched the wall around it, and a few strayed out plant decorations hid it even more. It was like the room was intentionally being hidden away. Once her mother opened the door, Hayley could see why. It appeared to be a private study- a homey, little room. There was a desk that sat in the middle, surrounded by comfortable looking chairs and giant bookshelves. To the side, there was a giant bay window that let the sun in and overlooked the coastline. A telescope stood off to the right of the window and a globe of the world to the left.

" _Wow,_ " The girl breathed out. Hayley stepped into the room and heard her mother chuckle from behind her.

"Just wait," Annabeth took her daughter's hand and lead her to the giant bay window. Annabeth sat down on the cushion while placing the little girl in her lap. She pointed out towards past the water and to an open area that was covered by what looked like to be a camp.

"Is that the camp you've been working on up here?" Hayley asked, eyes still set towards the campground, "It looks beautiful."

From what she could see, the cabins were beautifully designed with different symbols on each building, "What do the different symbols mean?"

"Each camper is placed in a certain cabin based on what you designed your schedule to look like. For example, if you wanted to spend the majority of your summer in the gardens, you could request to be placed in the Grain cabin. It's just to help to keep campers organized," The woman explained, "Obviously you could still participate in the camp singalong with the Lyre cabin, or go swimming with the Triton cabin, but this way you could be focused more on your interests and be surrounded by people who shared them."

"You said you went there, right?" Hayley turned to look back at her mother, "What cabin were you in?"

"I was always in the Owl cabin," Annabeth grinned at the memory, "We spent a lot of our time in the arts and crafts department. We also held the highest number of wins in Capture the Flag."

"Capture the Flag?" The girl stared at her mother with an amused expression, "What's that like?"

Annabeth grinned down at Hayley, "Well, I guess we'll have to go over there one day and let you find out for yourself."

Her daughter's green eyes widened as she jumped from her mother's lap, "Wait, really? I get to go?"

"Well, since we won't be here the whole summer you're not an _official_ camper, but yes. I talked to the activities director and he said they would be happy to have you come down and join in on the fun," she explained, "My only condition is that you aren't allowed to ditch me when your grandma get here. THAT, and I want a ceramic mug."

Hayley wrapped her arms around her mom's neck, "I will, I promise! It'll say _Worlds Best Mom_ and everything."

There were many surprises in store for Hayley Chase this summer, but her daughter finally getting to experience Camp Half-Blood was Annabeth's favorite. With the architect's demanding schedule and her daughter's extracurriculars, the two didn't have a lot of extra time for just them. Summer was when they could be together the most, and no matter how much she wanted her daughter to experience the same joys she did at camp, Annabeth didn't want to send Hayley to the other side of the country without her. And there was no place for Annabeth at camp now.

However, due to her new project being Camp Half-Blood, Annabeth had the perfect excuse to bring her daughter to the place most special to her. She wanted to share her experiences with her daughter. Show her the giant pine tree right at the camp entrance where she would sit under the shade and read. Tell her about the firework show that the camp would have every year. Share every strategy she helped come up with to win almost every game of Capture the Flag. Bring her to the dock where she spent almost every day with a boy. A boy with messy hair and sea-green eyes. Green eyes that Hayley's own resembled. Annabeth wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse. Looking into those eyes remained her of the boy she loved. The boy she wanted to build something permanent with. The boy who teased her, encouraged her, and stuck by her no matter what. Her best friend.

The boy who she tried to keep. The boy who she _couldn't_ keep. Annabeth thought fate was a cruel being. For years, the blonde girl just wanted someone who would _stay_. Someone who wouldn't leave. And when she finally found that someone, life forced the two apart. Although she hadn't seen him in years, Annabeth would still think of that boy and wonder about the man he became. While working at camp, the woman was reminded of him more than ever. The memories -and _feelings_ \- they shared.

Yes, Annabeth wanted to share her experiences with her daughter, but she could not share him. Annabeth could not tell Hayley about the boy who was shorter than her for a majority of their youth together, and how he would glare at her when she teased him about it. She could not tell her daughter about the boy who would sit through every one of her architecture rants with a smile. She could not tell her daughter about how he could coax the truth out of her with a single look, and hold her when it hurt too much to talk about.

Annabeth could not tell her daughter about her first love, P-

"Annabeth!" A voice shook the woman from her thoughts. As Annabeth's daughter pulled away from her, she noticed that her once ecstatic expression was now replaced with a look of confusion. And it wasn't hard to figure out why.

When she turned her head towards the voice, Annabeth came face to face with Luke Castellan, _her fiancé._


	3. we could die

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my first draft of the chapter got deleted so i'm glad this day is finally here lol. if for some reason you're still reading after like months of waiting then bless you, have a great day, and i love you <3

After Percy was done unpacking, he started his walk to the Big House. There, he would pick up his cabin schedule and campers list. As head of the Triton Cabin, it was his responsibility to watch his kids and make sure they kept curfew, did their chores, and basically stayed alive. But it wasn't just his cabin that he looked out for. As one of the camp social workers, it was Percy's job to be there for all the kids when they were going through any type of mental or emotional problem that weighed them down. He also made it a point to look for any kind of sign relating to any form of domestic violence. Percy knew what summer camps meant for a lot of kids. He knew because, at one point, it meant the same thing for him. 

When Percy first came to camp, everything was all so surreal to him. It was the first place where he didn't feel on edge every five minutes. No teachers yelling at him or blaming him for things he didn't do. No Smelly Gabe to mock him or punish every little thing he did. Percy would have even commended them for their lack of obnoxious bullies if not for Clarisse la Rue, but even she had eventually grown to be his friend. Yes, believe it or not, Percy was friends with more than just the girl he was in love with at camp. In fact, one of them was exiting the Big House just as he reached the steps. 

"Oh, my- is that  _ Peter Johnson _ ?" Percy will be the first to admit that when he originally met Jason Grace, he was  _ not _ a fan. Jason's family owned Camp Half-Blood. His grandfather built it specifically to send his children somewhere far away from him. When Jason's father inherited the place, the original ideas didn't change. His daughter, Thalia, attended the camp every year. At first, it was by force, but eventually, she came to love the camp. 

Jason's mother was a famous movie star with a serious drinking problem. That was one of the reason's Thalia was so quick to leave every summer. But by the time Jason was old enough to attend camp, Beryl decided that she wanted to try being a good parent. Keyword:  _ try _ . Instead of letting the boy attend summer camp, the woman spent every summer training her son to be the media's golden child. Poor kid didn't catch a break until he finally stood up to his parents at the age of thirteen. That year, Jason followed his sister to Long Island for the summer. 

When he first arrived, Percy audibly laughed at his khaki pants and polo shirt. He screamed daddy's money. He also didn't realize that Jason and Thalia were siblings. Although, with the boy's outfit and combed back blond hair compared to Thalia's short, spiky black mane and ripped, black skinny jeans, neither of the Graces could blame him. 

Percy assumed Jason would be this entitled little rich kid who constantly complained about first world problems. It took exactly  one  conversation between the two to realize how wrong he was. Jason Grace was the biggest dork he had ever met. Honestly, who tries to eat a stapler?

"Gracie," Percy joked back to the blond, "What's the occasion?"

"My job," A few years back, Jason's father had passed Camp Half-Blood down to his son. It was the best fit considering Thalia was off traveling with her girlfriend and Jason was the one with the business degree, "I left Chiron in charge of the camp's reconstruction so I thought I'd come down and see how everything turned out, and maybe stay a few weeks."

"Well, we're happy to have you back," Percy said, sincerely, "And Mattie will be excited to hear you'll be staying for a while."

Even before she attended Camp Half-Blood, Mattie had been introduced to almost everyone who worked there. It was really inevitable considering that a lot of the counselors were old campers that Percy was still friends with. Although, some were considered to be family at this point. 

Jason laughed, "I think you mean Mattie will be excited to have a volleyball rematch."

Percy grinned at the memory from two years ago, "Hey, she's my daughter. If Mattie says you cheated, I have to believe her." 

The blond rolled his eyes, but continued to chuckle, "How is Mattie, anyways?"

"She's good," Percy was now wearing a warm smile, but the waver in his voice was there. He'd only hoped that Jason didn't notice, but with the look Percy was receiving from him, he knew he hadn't gotten away with it, "I mean, she's getting older, you know? Pretty soon she's gonna start gaining new interests, new friends, having more questions. Specifically, questions that I won't know how to answer. I don't know, I'm just trying to appreciate the time I have with her while she still likes me." 

While he may have ended his mini-rant with a light-hearted chuckle, Percy wasn't fooling Jason. 

Percy had begun to find himself worrying over this stuff more often. He wasn't sure why, considering Mattie hadn't been acting any differently. Maybe it was just the fear of knowing that one day soon she would. Don't get him wrong, Percy knows he's a good father, or at least he tries to be, but he also knows that there are some things a dad can't help his daughter with. Granted, their experiences and situations are different, but Percy still had no idea how his mom was able to handle him while he was growing up. Even with Smelly Gabe in the picture, Sally was the best single mom a kid could ask for. 

Percy knows his mom will always be willing to help, but Mattie is  _ his _ kid. What kind of parent would he be if he ran to his mom for help every time things got difficult with his child? Plus, Sally Jackson had already raised two children in her life, and if anyone deserved a break, it was her. 

"Sounds like maybe you could use a-"

"Please don't start with this again, Jason," Percy grumbled out. There have been many occasions where Percy's two friends, Jason and Grover, would try and persuade him into dating again. Sometimes they got away with it, and the father would find himself on random dates here and there, a few flings, but nothing that would stick. It wasn't that his friends thought Percy needed help raising his daughter, they knew he was a great dad. They just wanted him to be happy. However, Percy wasn't sure a relationship was a good idea. Ever since he got her, it had just been Percy and Mattie, and he would always put her first. 

He had first started dating again when the little girl was five. After trying to have as civil of a conversation you can have with a toddler, it was obvious that Mattie had no interest in sharing her dad. It wasn't until two years later, when his daughter found out about Annabeth, or rather,  _ A.C. _ , that Mattie began to warm up to the idea of her dad dating again. But only if it was her.

Sometimes Percy wanted to tell Mattie about Annabeth because since he didn't, the little girl had taken it upon herself to come up with this whole magnificent idea about who she was. Without ever meeting her, or even knowing her name, Percy's daughter had taken the carved initials of  _ A.C. _ and given it life. He wasn't sure why Mattie was so interested in a woman she'd never met. Maybe it was the fact that she knew a history was involved between the two of them. Mattie had always been a sentimental kid.

Still, Percy had bad luck with relationships and he didn't want to risk getting close to someone when it wasn't just his feelings on the line anymore. 

"I know, I know," Jason let out a defeated sigh, but still nodded. A silent understanding, "Look, I get that I promised not to bring it up anymore, but I just want you two to be happy. And I'm not saying that you need a partner to be happy. I know that you're a strong, independent man and all, but you never know when you could be missing out on something great." 

Percy was hesitant to respond. He knew his friend was making good points, somehow Jason always does, but something was still holding him back, "You know, you're not married either. These regular conversations are a bit hypocritical, don't you think?"

A light-hearted smile appeared on the blond's face, "Maybe, but I'm also a year younger than you and I don't have a daughter to think about." 

"That's your loss," Percy joked back to him, "Look, I gotta go in and get all of my stuff together, so I'll see you later, yeah?"

"Of course. Oh, and by the way," Jason added as he nodded towards the Big House, "if it makes any difference, there's a new counselor this year helping out with the strawberry field and gardening classes. She's pretty cute, I just met her inside." 

"Jason," The raven-haired man warned as he narrowed his sea-green eyes at his friend. 

Jason raised his arms in deafest, "Okay, I'm done, I promise. Just thought I'd throw it out there." 

Percy playfully rolled his eyes and headed up the steps into the Big House. 

The Big House served as the main administrative building at Camp Half-Blood. With all of the updates made at camp, Percy wasn't surprised to see the difference in the building, though there weren't many. The Big House was still painted light blue with white trimmings, and it was still, well,  _ big _ . It did look newer, and more sturdy than it ever did when Percy attended the camp. There were four floors, including the attic, infirmary, rec room, and basement. The rec room was where all of the counselor meetings took place. With the updates made on the outside of the building, Percy assumed the inside would have a fresh new look as well. However, when he entered the rec room, the first thing Percy noticed was that all the other counselors were standing around the old ping pong table that had been used for years. 

Grover was the first person to notice when Percy walked in. A smile formed on his face as he greeted his friend with a big hug, "Perce! Good to see you." 

"Hey, G-man," Percy smiled as he hugged his friend back. When they pulled apart, he decided to comment on the room, "I see that the old ping pong table survived the remodeling."

Grover turned back towards the table and snickered, "Yeah, turns out that Chiron is a lot more sentimental than we give him credit for. You should see the attic."

"Let me guess, you still can't walk two feet without tripping over some kind of  _ camp memorabilia _ ?"

Grover shook his head, fully laughing now, "Believe it or not, someone was able to organize it all. There are shelves lined up against the walls now with everything on display. Chiron even had them add the little tags so he could still remember where each item came from." 

Grover Underwood was Percy's oldest and best friend and he still looked the same as he did all those years ago when they had first met; scrawny, with curly brown hair and eyes the color of soil. They first met when Percy arrived at camp at nine years old. Annabeth had been the one to show him around, but Grover was the first person she introduced him to. The girl and boy were already close friends, but as the summer went on, the three of them became inseparable. As fate would have it, Percy would join Grover at Yancy Academy in the fall. With all the self-righteous jerks at the school, the two boys were lucky to have each other. 

After a field trip incident, Percy did not get an invitation back to Yancy, but the boys still ended up spending all their time outside of school together, especially at camp. And when their high school years came around, Percy and Grover ended up at Goode High School together. Then they graduated from Goode High School together. Then they went to college together. The next thing they knew, Percy was the best man at Grover's wedding, and Grover was Mattie's godfather. 

"Well, whoever was able to get that mess organized is a miracle worker," He laughed along with his old friend, “Have you been here long?"

"Nah, showed up about two hours ago. You're here to get your schedule, right?"

"Yep," Percy answered, moving toward the ping-pong table that was holding the camp packets designed for each counselor, "The kids will be here in what, an hour? I have to at least pretend that I have everything figured out for the summer." 

Of course, this was an exaggeration. Percy had been at Camp Half-Blood for years; if anyone knew what they were doing, it was him. However, to someone who watched as he moved backwards towards the ping-pong table, you wouldn't have guessed as much. Especially not when he backed right into another counselor on his way. 

The raven-haired man was quick to turn around and see his victim, hoping that the damage wasn't anything too bad. He was practically praying that he hadn't just sent a schedule flying onto the ground for its pages to be scattered in disarray. There had been one year when Percy himself had gotten his packet out of order, and for half of the summer, Hazel yelled at him over which cabin was assigned to the stables on Wednesdays. No one was really surprised when it was revealed that the woman was right. 

Luckily, for his sake, and the person he had run into, Percy was not met with pieces of paper flying towards the ground, but rather a woman who looked just as stunned as he felt. A pretty and unfamiliar woman at that. It didn't take long for Percy to piece together that this must be the new counselor Jason was referring to. Although, he undersold the whole  _ cute  _ thing. She had caramel-colored hair that was braided and resting over her tanned shoulder. He was met by the stare of dark, almond-shaped eyes that held a look far too concerned for someone who had just been run into. It was almost as if _ she  _ was worried about  _ him. _ Maybe it was because she had been trying to talk to him, but for some reason he was stuck standing there, staring at her with wide eyes. 

"Caly!" Grover's arm being thrown over his shoulder was the thing that finally snapped Percy back into reality. That is until the girl smiled in response to his friend and he felt his knees turn to jelly, "I'm glad to see you've met Percy. Now, I don't have to worry about introducing you two later."

"Oh, so you're the famous Percy I've been hearing about?" The woman,  _ Caly, _ turned her smile towards the man in question. 

“Oh, that’s never a good thing to hear,” He was able to manage a nervous chuckle, “Everything I’ve ever been considered famous for only got me in trouble.”

“I wouldn't consider being called the best counselor at camp as something you’d get in trouble for,” She was clearly teasing him and Percy could feel himself blush. 

“Well, you’d think the  _ best counselor at camp _ would know better than to walk backward in a room full of people. I’m really sorry for backing into you,” Somehow the apology seemed less sincere with his childhood best friend hanging off of his side, so Percy gently nudged Grover’s arm off of him. 

Caly obviously found this amusing, “Don’t worry about it. No damage was done.”

“You won’t believe it, Perce,” Grover spoke up, “Caly is named after a Greek myth too! You know, I always thought it was weird just having you, the Graces, and Chiron here, but now I’m almost certain that this camp was built on some weird Greek summoning ground-”

“I don’t remember there being a myth about a person named Caly,” Percy hoped his words didn’t come off as accusatory as he thought they did. Luckily, the woman just giggled. 

“Probably because there aren’t any,” She explained, “Caly is just a nickname I go by. My real name is Calypso, but then again, you probably haven’t heard of that one either. It’s not one of the more popular stories.”

“Of course he’s heard that one! I doubt there is a myth Percy hasn’t heard, honestly. See, our friend, Anna-” Percy wondered if Grover stopped talking because he could feel the green-eyed man getting tense beside him. He hadn’t meant to make Grover uncomfortable, he never wanted to do that. 

When he and Annabeth broke up, Grover was Percy’s rock. He was the one who saw him at his lowest and helped pull him back. Grover made sure the broken-hearted boy was eating, getting out of bed, and at least  _ attempting _ to get his life together. Percy had always felt guilty for that, in more ways than one. 

When Annabeth left for California for the last time, it wasn’t just Percy who had lost her. She and Grover were best friends long before Percy had met either of them. While no one expected him to choose sides, it was hard for Grover to be there for the girl when she was on the other side of the country. Still, that never stopped his attempts. He would call and check on Annabeth just as much as he would Percy. And although he knew that they hadn’t spoken in years, Percy could tell that Grover still missed Annabeth. He knew because moments like this happened a lot. Moments where Grover would have to catch himself from gushing about the girl and their old memories together. 

Percy hated that he made Grover feel like he had to hold back the happy times they all shared. The ending may have been bad, but everything else was amazing. Even the bickering between himself and Annabeth when they first met was an endearing memory. He felt selfish. Grover had spent years walking on pins and needles, trying to avoid any kind of conversation that connected to Annabeth, and that wasn’t fair. It may have been acceptable at the young age of nineteen, but Percy was a grown adult now. He had to at least make an attempt. 

“Our friend Annabeth used to tell us all kinds of myths when we were kids,” Referring to Annabeth as a friend didn’t feel right to Percy. It never did. Even before they were officially together, the two were always more than just  _ friends _ , “I’m sure she mentioned the story of Calypso, but that was a long time ago. I hardly remember it.”

Time had absolutely nothing to do with it. Silena Beauregard deciding to give Annabeth a makeover did. He and Annabeth had planned to meet at the beach one afternoon because the young girl had just finished a new book of mythology that she wanted to rant over. Percy was ready to tease her when she arrived late, but his words got caught in his throat when he saw her. Annabeth quickly started to explain that she owed Silena some favor and the older girl decided to collect that day-  _ with a makeover _ . She looked different. He had always thought Annabeth was cute, but this was a new kind of pretty. Percy wished that he could say his thirteen-year-old self was able to follow the girl's every word that day, but instead, his mind decided to get sidetracked by the way her eyes looked bigger, brighter, and then again when in certain angles her face would look like it was glowing. Or when he noticed her lips were a pinker shade than usual and realized that she was wearing lip gloss for possibly the first time he’d known her. That was also the first time Percy had ever thought about kissing someone. So, no. He did not remember the story of Calypso. 

Caly simply nodded in understanding. Despite having decided to share about the girl, Percy was glad she didn’t ask more about Annabeth, or why Grover felt the need to stop mid-sentence when he brought her up, “Well, my father practically drilled the story into my brain, so if you ever need a refresher, I’d be happy to help.” 

“Well, thank you, but I’m not sure how much time my schedule will permit for mythological storytelling,” Percy joked, finally reaching out and collecting the packet with his name and cabin written on top. 

The caramel haired woman sent him a smile and nodded, “Yeah, it does look like this will be an eventful summer. Let me know if you change your mind?”

Percy returned the nod as she took a step towards the door, “Will do.” 

Caly said her goodbyes to Percy and Grover before walking out of the Big House. Once she was out of sight, the latter spoke up, “How are you still as oblivious now as you were when you were a teenager?” 

The dark-haired man turned to his best friend who was sporting a look that could be described as both amusement and exasperation, “What are you talking about?”

“She was flirting with you, Perce,” Grover laughed, “I know you say you’re staying single because of Mattie, but maybe it’s just because you have no game.” 

“First of all,” Percy started, sporting the tiniest hint of a grin on his lips, “I’m not the one who tripped into a mud puddle the first time he met Juniper and then proceeded to talk her ear off about Hilary Duff.” 

“Okay, in my defense, I was on crutches that summer because I broke my leg-”

“And the Hilary Duff?” 

“She’s an icon!” The dark-skinned man insisted, throwing his arm up, “Why wouldn't that be a great topic starter? Besides, I married her so obviously it worked.” 

“Yeah yeah, whatever,” Percy laughed, waving his friend off, “That’s beside the point. And anyway, she wasn’t flirting with me.” 

“Like I said, oblivious.” 

“I’m not oblivious-” 

“Percy,” Grover’s voice was stern, but his eyes held a soft look in them. He hesitated for a moment, as if contemplating if these next words were worth any negative reaction his best friend might have to them, “It took you like five years to realize that Annabeth liked you back, and that was with me, and practically everyone else at camp, assuring you that she did. I love you, but when it comes to stuff like this, you’re oblivious.” 

Percy didn’t look at Grover- not in the eyes anyway. He knew his best friend meant well, and partially how right he was, but- “That was Annabeth. She’s- was different.” 

“Okay, and what about Lydia? If her friend hadn’t intervened, you two would have never even exchanged numbers. Or that bartender at  _ Ambrosia _ that used to hit on you in college? He definitely wasn’t subtle. Or that lady from the park two weeks ago. The guy at the gas station that one time. The lady at the gas station the  _ other _ time. The substitute teacher at Mattie’s school- ”

“Yeah, okay Grover,” Percy interrupted, pink-faced and locked eyes, “I get the point.” 

“All I’m trying to say is that you’re a catch and you need to start admitting that to yourself,” The man said with a shrug, “Caly has no problem admitting it.” 

With a deflating sigh, Percy leaned back onto the shaky pool table, “It’s not that simple. I have Mattie to think of.” 

“You’re crazy if you think for a second that Mattie wouldn’t want you to be happy,” Grover’s arms were now crossed and he wore a smile as he spoke of his goddaughter, “She looks up to you, Perce. Make sure the person she sees is someone you would want her to become.” 

The man huffed, “Bold of you to assume I want her dating.”

“I meant happy,” Grover’s eyes were soft when Percy looked up at him. They were telling- knowing. But Percy  _ was  _ happy. He had a job he loved, a daughter he adored, friends who cared about him, and vice versa. His mom, stepdad, and Estelle. What more could he ask for? Who was he to feel sad? Like he was missing something? It was a selfish thought, one that he refused to humor.

His best friend raised his hand and gently placed it on Percy’s shoulder, “I’m proud of you, by the way. I haven’t heard you talk about her in years.” 

There were two ways Percy could take this conversation. He could stiffen up and shut out the topic altogether, or he could act like a fucking grown-up for once and stop repressing his feelings on the matter. The man went for a healthy middle, “Yeah well, I may be  _ oblivious, _ but I can tell that it puts you on edge when you mention her around me. She was your friend too, Grover. You shouldn’t have to feel that way- you never should have.” 

A smile formed on his face, and for the first time that day, Percy felt like he’d done something right, “Thanks, Perce.”

Percy simply nodded as he moved off of the pool table, “I should head back to the cabin. I need to read this packet before the kids show up.” 

“I’m sure Mattie will be excited to read the schedule.” 

“You and I both know she’s not at the cabin, G-Man,” Percy chuckled as he began walking to the door, patting his friend gently on the arm with the folder. 

Grover was holding back a grin on his own as he watched the man leave, “You don’t sound very worried about that.” 

“How could I?” He grinned, facing back towards the other man, “She’s with great company.” 

++++++++++++

Mattie Jackson always loved coming back to Camp Half-Blood. Along with being the on camp social worker, her father was the head of the Triton Cabin. It was the same cabin he had used when he attended the summer camp and Mattie was more than happy to carry on the tradition. Since Percy worked at the camp, Mattie arrived a few hours earlier than the rest of the other campers. Luckily for her, that meant she could pick out the best bunk. Unfortunately, that also meant that her father had to report to the Big House right after they unpacked. It left the girl to wander around by herself, at least until she could find her best friend. As usual, she didn't have to look hard. 

Milo Underwood always had a habit of spending time in the woods. Her dad said that his parents, Grover and Juniper, were the same way. Maybe it was because she lived more in the city, but the young girl never really understood it. Sure, she liked being outdoors and she liked nature all right, but her best friend liked to just sit and vibe, whereas Mattie never really could sit still for a long time in any quiet environment. She appreciated nature, but Milo  _ appreciated _ nature. And she could always find him appreciating it on a mountain of rocks cleverly nicknamed  _ Zeus's Fist _ . The rock looked like a fist coming out of the ground, but Mattie wasn't sure what the Greek God Zeus had to do with it. 

The young girl had trekked her way through the woods and made it to the rocks, but for the first time, Milo wasn't there. This was a routine for the two kids. The Jacksons were almost always pushing it on time, so the Underwood family beat them to camp every year. Milo would go to Zeus's Fist after unpacking and Mattie would join him later on after she arrived. Mattie was confused, but she wasn't worried. If anyone knew these woods, it was Milo. 

The girl decided that the most logical thing to do would be to keep walking in an attempt to try and find him. Mattie knew that these woods lead out towards a part of the beach, so she decided to head in that direction. She would either find her friend on the way, or she would make it to the beach and get to spend some time there for a while. And maybe she would get to see the dock. Preferably the old one with the carving still intact. 

Truthfully, Mattie assumed she would find Milo before reaching the beach. She didn't exactly predict that she would spot them both at the same time. At the edge of where the grass from the woods faded into the sand of the beach stood Milo Underwood in all of his four-foot-four glory. While it annoyed Milo to no end, Mattie found it entertaining that she was taller than the boy. It was only by two inches, but that was enough for her to brag about it. 

As usual, his curly, dark hair was tucked under an old cap given to him by his dad. From what she could tell while standing behind him, Milo appeared to be concentrating really hard on something in the distance. Despite not being able to see his face, she could tell by the way his copper arms were crossed that he was too caught up in whatever he was looking at to notice her. 

Smirking, the girl slowly and quietly approached the boy from behind. Once she found herself standing only about two feet back from him, she spoke up, "Whatcha doin'?" 

" _ Gahh _ !" Milo jumped forward and away from the girl. As he turned around, Milo could see his best friend currently laughing her head off, "What was that for? You scared the life out of me, Mat!" 

"It was... too easy!" The girl answered between breaths, "What- what are... oh, that was too good! Hang on, give me... one... second." 

Milo rolled his eyes before removing his cap and running a hand through his hair in frustration, "Are you done? It wasn't even that funny." 

Once Mattie got a hold of her laughter, she let out a big breath before moving forward, "I'm sorry, but you were just there, I couldn't help it." 

"Whatever," Milo placed his cap back on his head, "Just know that I will be getting you back for this."

"And I'll be laughing along with you when you do," she joked back to him, "There is nothing funnier than a jump scare, it doesn't matter who it's on."

"You're insane," he told her before looking back out towards the distances. 

"Yeah, well at least I'm not a flake," Mattie replied, only half-joking, "What are you doing out here? We always meet at Zeus's Fist,  _ remember _ ?" 

"Yes, I  _ remember _ ," Milo mocked, "I was waiting for you and then I got bored. Decided to take a walk and I ended up here." 

Milo just shrugged when he finished his explanation and continued to look out over the water to the big hill on the other side. Sitting up on the top of the hill stood the giant Pallas Mansion that had been there for years. No one ever goes there and the lights are always out. In fact, there's an urban legend around camp that it's haunted. It wasn't until she followed her best friend's eyes that Mattie realized Milo was staring at the building. 

"What are you doing staring at the Haunted Mansion?" 

"Wha-" Milo's head whipped to the side and he looked at Mattie with confusion written on his face, "You mean you don't see it?" 

Mattie's face scrunched as she looked back over the water, "See what?"

She wasn't looking at her friend anymore, but when she heard him sigh, she knew Milo was rolling his eyes, "The lights? The new plants out back?" 

The girl squinted her eyes to see better, and low and behold, there it was. Although it was still daylight out, Mattie could tell that lights were shining brightly on every floor and the old greenery that once covered the back of the house looked like it had just been planted. 

"Holy shit," the girl gaped at the building. 

"Think it's the ghosts?" Milo asked, hesitantly. Some campers believed that the mansion was haunted. Milo was one of them, Mattie was not, "I- I mean, no one has lived there for years and now what? Suddenly everything looks all shiny and new? I've been staring at the place for like an hour and I haven't seen a single person go in or out of there. Plus, there aren't even any cars outside-"

"Okay, I'm gonna stop you right there," The young girl interjected. Mattie was used to Milo ranting over irrational things. Usually, it was about some wild conspiracy theory he'd found online or heard in a podcast, but this was just ridiculous, "Someone could have moved in over the school year, or, oh I don't know, maybe the cars are parked out front? You know, the place we can't see because it's faced  _ away _ from the camp?"

Milo's dark eyes glared back at the girl, "I don't like when you use your sarcastic tone." 

"Really?" Mattie teased, "'Cause I love it." 

The boy lightly shoved Mattie and turned back to the building, “I’m serious. The place has been abandoned for years and you aren’t even a little bit curious as to why it’s suddenly up and running again?” 

Mattie crossed her arms and leaned on the nearest tree as her gaze moved to look over the water at the mansion in question, “I never said I wasn’t curious. I just said that there aren’t any ghosts.” 

“Aria Stoll told me that the guy who lived there like a hundred years ago was stabbed to death by his daughter so that she could inherit the estate and all of his money. She said his ghost has scars all over from the attack, and that he walks around the mansion, looking to enact his revenge on her. It’s pretty messed up,” The girl could feel her friend shuttering as he explained the ghost story, “And her dad is a real estate agent so he knows a lot about the history of houses and building and stuff, so I think she’s a credible source.” 

“Yeah, well her other dad is a comedian and when I was seven she tried to convince me that raw spaghetti noodles were made from  phasmatodea. I’m sorry if I don’t exactly find her to be reliable.” 

“Whatever,” The young boy replied, rolling his eyes in the process, “It’s not like you can prove her wrong.”

Mattie’s eyes snapped away from the mansion and went straight to her friend, “Oh, I can definitely prove her, and you, wrong.”

Milo huffed out a laugh in response, but kept his eyes on the building, “What are you gonna do? Go over and inspect it?” 

It takes exactly ten seconds for Mattie to hear an idea and make a stupid plan for it. The first two seconds are used to properly register the idea that was thrown out. The next two to three seconds are spent thinking of how this might get her injured, or killed, or grounded. Mainly in that order. The next two seconds are focused on coming up with an alibi to prevent any reason for grounding. Leaving two seconds to create the actual plan in question and one second at the end where she has a conversation that usually went something like this:  _ “Nah, I shouldn't do that... But I already made the plan so…”  _

So she does it anyway. 

“Okay, fine,” The smirk Mattie was wearing would have been warning enough to stop listening to the girl. Unfortunately, for Milo, he was still distracted by the mansion, “Hypothetically speaking, how much would you bet that the place is actually haunted? Like, how much money did you bring with you to camp? Would you bet all of that?” 

The boy shrugged, “I only have like thirteen bucks with me, so sure. Why?” 

Mattie jumped away from the tree eagerly, startling Milo in the process. His head snapped towards the girl and saw the all too familiar scheming smirk she was wearing, “Because I've been saving my allowance and brought fifteen dollars with me. Still willing to bet?” 

A look of reluctance took over his face. He wasn’t sure he wanted to ask where this conversation was going, but he knew if he didn’t, she would just tell him anyway, “What are you talking about?”

“We sneak over to the Pallas Mansion, look around a bit, and once I prove that it’s not haunted, you give me your thirteen dollars,” The brunette had a wild smile on her face and her tan cheeks were flushed pink with anticipation. 

Milo’s eyes opened so wide that Mattie was sure the pressure would cause a migraine, “Are you crazy? I can come up with twenty reasons right this second why that’s a bad idea. One, we could die. Two, I’m pretty sure that’s trespassing. Three, the ghost at Pallas could follow us back to camp and then possess the body of Chiron, or Jason, or one of our dad’s and then go on a killing spree, and the fall of Camp Half-Blood would be all our fault. Four, we could get grounded, over summer break no less! Five, one of us could be possessed. Six, I-”

“Oh, come on,” Mattie groaned, dragged the phrase out, “Now you’re just being dramatic. Besides, this was technically your idea.” 

“Wha-” the boy gasped out before glaring back at her, “I was joking and you know it! Don’t place this on me.” 

She rolled her eyes, “Look, you won’t even have to go in. I’ll do all the work, you can just stand guard outside.” 

“And what? Watch you die?” 

The girl simply shrugged, “Well if I die then at least you get fifteen bucks.” 

Milo scoffed and turned to look at the mansion once more, this time, glaring, “Yeah, seeing death by a ghost is definitely worth fifteen bucks.” 

Despite his resistance, Mattie knew her best friend would give in and go with her. With every ten seconds, she goes through making her plans, not a single one of them is wasted having to wonder if he will be by her side. There were a lot of things the girl could rely on. Her dad makes pancakes every Sunday morning before they pile into the car and spend the day together, either in the city or at the pool. Her grandma makes her blue cookies for every special occasion ranging from birthdays to good test grades. Her godfather takes her and Milo on nature hikes every month. She gets to spend every summer at Camp Half-Blood. Those were things she could rely on. 

However, there were things she hadn’t been able to rely on. A mom being one of them- or rather, two of them. 

But Milo was her family. The brother she always had. He wouldn’t leave like them. Neither would her godfather, or her grandmother, and definitely not her father. 

It took exactly ten seconds for Milo to contemplate going along with Mattie’s irrational plans. 

“Fifteen bucks and I want your dessert for the rest of the week.” 

She smiled, “Deal.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing about percy's attraction to literally anyone other than annabeth makes me uncomfortable but here we are...
> 
> lol thanks for reading! <3

**Author's Note:**

> wow if you're still here you should check out my tumblr :)  
> main: greekgrad07  
> sideblog (writing): demigod07


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